Beer, Cats, and Dating Apps
by ChameleonCircuit
Summary: Carisi stumbles across someone unexpected on Tinder.
1. Chapter 1

_A/N: Hey guys. This one came to me while I was in bed, and I smashed it out on my phone before going to sleep, then edited it this morning... I hope you like it! It's currently just a stand-alone, but I could be persuaded to make it a series if people are interested._

* * *

Left. Left. Left. Carisi kept swiping out of boredom, though the act itself bred boredom, which resulted in more mindless swiping, accompanied by swigs of beer. He was barely even paying attention as he continued swiping left, pausing every so often on someone attractive enough to catch his eye, before swiping left on them too.

" _What's the point in having Tinder if you're just gonna reject everyone?"_ he could hear Rollins saying in his head.

"Because," he muttered to himself, emptying the last few dregs of the beer into his mouth, "you made me download the damned thing and now I'm forced to attempt to enter the dating scene when, really, I'm not sure a dating app is the way to go at all."

A soft meow came from the armchair across from him and he frowned at his cat as she stretched, judging him with her piercing green eyes.

"What?" He questioned, sighing as she curled back up, head buried into the cushions of the armchair

He was tossing up between bed and another beer. Loneliness made him wonder whether meeting an attractive stranger for a drink wasn't such a bad idea after all.

"Alright, Josie, if the next person's good looking enough, I'll grab another beer and actually swipe right." He poised his finger over the app, preparing to swipe left to reveal his fate, though no response came from the small, purring mound across from him. "Yeah alright, alright, I know I'm an idiot."

He laughed to himself, hanging his head slightly before swiping left. On instinct, he nearly swiped left again before he caught himself, thumb hovering above the screen. His mouth hung open slightly as he clicked the picture to browse the other photos and full profile for confirmation. And sure enough, staring back at him from the second picture was a laughing Rafael Barba on a yacht, arm wrapped around a tall, attractive man in all white, holding a glass of scotch in his spare hand.

Carisi laughed out loud, causing Josie to jump up and leave the room in search of peace. His thumb hovered above the green tick, a nervous excitement bubbling up inside him.

"Oh, wait until Rollins hears about this," he muttered out loud, laughing to himself.

He sighed and settled comfortably back into the sofa, a small smile playing on his lips as his eyes studied the only two photos Barba had on his profile. After a few minutes contemplation, he tapped the green tick. When the match wasn't confirmed, disappointment settled in his stomach.

 _He might not even have come across you yet,_ he reasoned with himself, trying to push out the disappointment he was feeling. _Hell, he probably doesn't even use the stupid thing._

That thought cheered him considerably. Really, he couldn't imagine the sharp, cool ADA playing around with something as silly as tinder.

Shaking his head, he rose from the sofa, deciding it was definitely time for bed.

* * *

As everyone left to tend to their duties, Carisi lingered by the table, watching as Barba packed up his things. Carisi watched as he grimaced, swallowing the rest of his now-cold coffee, actions pausing as he caught Carisi staring. He stared back, completely still for just a moment, before setting the empty mug down.

"If you're waiting for a word of encouragement you're wasting your time - I actually think what you did was stupid, even by your standards. You simply got lucky."

Carisi felt the dejected look cross his features, the playful air he'd bought with him dissipating, causing the smirk forming on Barba's face to stop half-way.

"Luck always is in your side, though," he conceded with a sigh, dipping his head lightly as he met Carisi's eyes with a smile that could have almost looked like an apology, if Carisi didn't know better.

He huffed out a laugh, rubbing the back of his neck. Because, really, what was he thinking? Over the past week since he'd found Barba on tinder he had spent more time than he'd care to admit imagining what Barba was like outside of work. And somehow, in his mind, he'd made him softer, kinder, more like the photo of him laughing as opposed to the man he knew.

"You're uncharacteristically quiet today," Barba said gently.

It wasn't a question, nor was it a clear invitation, but Carisi could hear the added _'are you okay?'_ tagged to the end of it, and he appreciated the gesture.

"Been a long day," he shrugged by way of an answer, feeling somewhat foolish despite the fact that there was no way Barba could know what was going on inside his mind.

"That it has. And thankfully, it's over, because I'll be running late if I don't leave soon," Barba responded, heading for the door.

"Got a date?" Carisi couldn't help himself, a light blush forming on his cheeks as Barba turned to face him again, looking somewhat bewildered. "Someone swipe right?"

Carisi instantly wished he could take that last bit back as he watched confusion morph into understanding as Barba's lip twisted into a crooked smirk.

"I don't have the time, or the need, for dating apps, Detective," he said, eyes raking slowly over Carisi's lanky frame, causing him to shrink in on himself a little. "Unlike some people."

There was absolutely no venom in Barba's words (and actually, if Carisi hadn't felt so self-conscious, he would have caught the playful tone and the way Barba's eyes twinkled slightly), yet Carisi felt their sting all the same, as he watched Barba. His neck was still warm with shame as he headed back to his desk.

* * *

Normally, when Carisi needed to take his mind off something that was bothering him, he'd go to Rollins' house, cook up his best spaghetti, play with Jesse, and eventually get whatever was bothering him off his chest. But tonight, Rollins was pulling a double, so he was, once again, stuck with Josie and a beer.

He was flicking through the same channels on repeat, unable to settle on something, when his phone pinged. He frowned, glancing down at the screen, double-taking when he realised it was a match notification from tinder. His fingers clumsily swiped the notification, Barba's picture popping up alongside his own when the app opened. A chat window opened, then, and he hesitated, unsure of what to say. He needn't have bothered - his phone vibrated almost instantly.

 **Of all the people in New York City, and I match with a barely competent detective.**

Carisi rolled his eyes, punching out his reply before he could think on it too much.

 _I thought you didn't have time for dating apps._

 _I'm also a lawyer, I'll have you know._

 **Oh don't worry, everyone within a 5-mile radius has heard.**

 _And I suppose you think you could do better?_

Carisi frowned, wondering if Barba could hear the humour in his self-deprecation via text - did Barba know him well enough for that?

 **If I could, would I be here?**

Carisi was still thinking on how to respond when the next message came through.

 **More to the point, if I wanted better, would I have spent the last two hours swiping through swine just to find you?**

Carisi felt himself blush, despite the fact there was no one around to bear witness. He couldn't imagine Barba being so candid face to face, and he was suddenly very grateful for the stupid app.

 _I dunno, Counselor. Surprised you'd waste time on someone as incompetent as me ;)_

Carisi was testing him now - fishing for a compliment, really.

 **I said barely competent. You're practically Sherlock Holmes compared to the fools I work with on a daily basis.**

 _I'm sure the Lieu would love to hear that._

 **Don't even joke about that, Carisi.**

Carisi felt himself grinning. Not just a small, private smile. Not even a fully-fledged 'I've just been sent the cutest photo if a dog ever' smile. It was a genuine, face-splitting, dorky grin.

 _What do I get in return for my silence?_

 **Your life.**

Carisi laughed, shaking his head, the goofy grin still in place.

 _I was hoping for something a little more exciting than that._

 **Life's not exciting enough for you? Well, that speaks volumes to the kind of life you lead.**

Carisi took a deep breath as he pondered his reply. He could hear Barba's teasing tone, and while he had no idea how Barba flirted, he could easily imagine this was it. Snark and cool collection, as though he could literally be doing anything else at that moment and it would be of no consequence. But he worried he was reading too much into it, seeing simply what he wanted to see. He bit his lip, deleting the request to meet up for a drink that he'd already started punching out. He wished he could be quicker and wittier, like Barba, so it felt like an even playing field. But, to put it simply, he was smitten - there was no way he could play this cool, and Barba had to know that.

 **Stop thinking – you're giving me a headache and I'm not even looking at you.**

 _You could be._

 **That wouldn't help with the headache.**

Then, almost instantly:

 **A drink might, though. If you're paying, of course.**

The next message contained an address of a bar on Broadway, and Carisi couldn't have moved faster if he tried, grin threatening to engulf his face the entire way to the bar, and well into the night, despite Barba's merciless teasing.

He supposed dating apps weren't so bad after all.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Because it was too good not to, and because so many of you are just so damn lovely, I've written a follow up that is the date itself. I don't like it as much. I actually wrote a version I liked much better, then lost it and had to start from scratch, so this is like, me trying to pick up the broken pieces of something that was once beautiful - there's fragments of its original self, but it will never be the same.**

* * *

Carisi was full of nervous excitement as he sat in the back of the cab, leg jiggling constantly. As they pulled onto the street of the bar, all excitement seemed to vanish, leaving just nervousness and a hint of fear in its wake. _What the hell am I doing?_ He wondered to himself as he fidgeted with his clothing, straightening his tie and unbuttoning then re-buttoning his jacket repeatedly

"Ye look smashin', mate," the cab driver offered with a startling cockney accent and a crooked grin in the rear-view mirror as they pulled up. "Got nothin' to be nervous about."

Carisi paid the cab driver with a quiet thanks, using the compliment to propel him towards the front door of the bar. When he reached it, however, he paused, catching his reflection in the dark glass. He sighed, hand resting against the door as nervousness bubbled up inside him. He was suddenly so worried he'd misunderstood, and that he was going to make a fool of himself, because really, why would Barba ask him out on a date? The notion seemed ridiculous now he was here.

He felt his phone ping in his pocket and moved aside from the door to fish it out.

 **Are you going to come inside, or do I have to continue to stare longingly at you through the window?**

Carisi stared at the message, his heart pounding in his chest. While he was staring, a second came through.

 **Because that's not really my style, and there's plenty of good looking, lonely people I can convince to buy me a drink instead.**

Carisi looked up then, searching for Barba through the window. He found him sat at a booth towards the back, staring right back at him, gesturing around as though to prove his point.

He smiled, ducking his head slightly before pushing the door open and making his way to Barba.

When he got there, Barba stood, and on reflex, Carisi extended his hand. Barba quirked an eyebrow, a smirk playing on his face as his eyes raked over Carisi's body.

"Oh, you're actually sticking with that, okay," Barba said in mock surprise, extending his hand just as Carisi had been about to withdraw.

The handshake was the most formal the two of them had ever shared, and Carisi had the distinct feeling he was being mocked. The nerves were creeping back in, and he shifted his feet awkwardly, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"Erm, scotch, I'm assuming?" Carisi asked, nodding towards Barba's empty glass.

"You know me too well," he replied with a smilrk.

Carisi smiled back, placing his coat on the empty booth chair before making his way over to the bar.

While waiting for his order, he chanced a glance back at Barba. His eyes were in his phone, one hand scrolling, while the other hand picked at a mostly-disintegrated cardboard coaster. Both actions seemed nervous, and Carisi felt himself relax a little. If they were both nervous, he could handle that.

Drinks in hand, he returned to their table, sliding Barba's drink across to him before taking a seat in the booth, his own beer cradled in both hands.

"You… erm, you look nice," Carisi said quietly, his voice sounding a little rough.

"I'm wearing exactly what I was wearing earlier today, detective," he replied, that amused little smirk playing on his lips again, "but thank you."

"Yeah, well, you looked nice then too," Carisi mumbled, casting his eyes down briefly. "You always do."

When he looked back up, Barba was still smiling at him, his eyes shining in the dim light of the bar. He felt, once more, as though he were being mocked, like there was a joke that he wasn't in on - it wouldn't be the first time someone had asked him out as a joke. He looked down at the bottle in his hands again.

A few moments later, a warm pair of hands covered his, stilling their movements. He hadn't quite realised he had all but demolished the label on his beer, and he felt a blush creep its way up his neck.

"You needn't be so nervous," Barba said softly, and when Carisi looked up at him, his expression was equally soft.

"You're one to talk," Carisi retorted with a false confidence, nodding his head to the pile of tiny pieces of cardboard that had once been a coaster.

Barba withdrew his hands then, and seemed to withdraw something else with them, causing Carisi to regret the jab immediately, despite it being the first time he'd had the upper hand in their entire acquaintance.

"That was before you accepted my invitation," he said quietly, fiddling again with the pile.

Despite regretting making Barba feel embarrassed, he couldn't help the warm glow that was spreading throughout him at the thought of him making Barba nervous. It was nearly enough to make him giddy, which caused him to blush again. He felt like an awkward teenager, but that feeling also held with it a seed of doubt that he still couldn't get rid of.

"Stop staring," Barba said quietly before looking up, a shy smile on his face that looked entirely new, entirely out of place, and yet entirely gorgeous.

"Sorry," he replied with a laugh, taking a swig from his drink.

"No you're not," Barba shot back with more confidence, a teasing edge to his voice once more.

"Yeah, alright, I'm not."

He was grinning now, and he felt his stomach flutter when the smirk on Barba's face turned to an actual smile. Nothing close to Carisi's own grin, but from Barba, it might as well be.

"What?" Barba asked, still smiling. His eyes had lost their sharp edge, and were, instead, entirely warm and soft around the edges.

For some reason, Carisi faltered under his gaze. It felt personal, and entirely not meant for him. He'd seen that look only once on Barba's face, and it was when he'd caught him and Liv together sharing a private moment - they'd had no idea he was there, but he'd seen the look they shared, and he realised now that what he'd felt then had been jealousy.

"Carisi?" Barba prodded, leaning forward again so his face was closer.

"Why'd you invite me?" He asked, causing Barba's smile to slip. "I mean, we're not exactly close. We work well together and all, but I'm not… I'm not Liv."

Barba feigned shock, sitting back as though he'd had an epiphany, and Carisi fought the urge to roll his eyes at the theatrics.

"No way," Barba deadpanned. "I never would have guessed."

"You know what I mean."

Barba was silent for a moment, his expression unreadable, eyes sharp again. After a small while, he leant forward again.

"Why did you come?"

Carisi frowned, completely thrown by the question.

"When haven't I done, or at least tried to do, exactly what you asked of me?"

A look of hurt flashed across Barba's face, his wide eyes darting across Carisi's features before his expression relaxed. And Christ, he would love to know what Barba saw to make his entire face change like that - wide-eyed hurt one minute, and gentle understanding the next. And, if he didn't know better, he could have sworn there was a hint of guilt in there, too.

"You needn't try so hard," Barba said quietly, his finger now tracing the edge of his glass as he looked down at the table. "I already like you. You've already won."

Carisi could see the tips of Barba's ears go pink at the admission, and the look of shock on his face quickly morphed into a shy grin.

"Could've fooled me," he joked, then instantly wished he could take it back. "Sorry," he started back-tracking, "I didn't… I just mean… I was _aiming_ for teasing, but I kinda…"

"Hit the nail on the head?" Barba responded bluntly before sighing, forcing himself to look at Carisi again. "Because you're right, I could have - should have - been nicer."

A silence fell over them, and Carisi went to buy them another round. When he returned, Barba was waiting, a determined look on his face. He stood when Carisi reached their table and placed their drinks down, and before he could process what was happening, Barba's lips were on his.

It was chaste, it was soft, it was quick, but it made Carisi's stomach flutter. He wanted to reach out and pull Barba back to him as he moved away, but he was stunned into silence.

"Does that answer your question?" Barba asked as he sat back down, looking far too pleased with himself.

Carisi grinned and slunk back into the booth across from Barba, taking a swig of his drink

"Yeah," he said softly, "yeah it does."

Barba smiled at him in earnest, then, and took a swig of his own drink, both far more relaxed now.

"Two hours though? Really?" Carisi teased, leaning forward so his face was closer to Barba's.

Barba's silence, plus the blush creeping up his neck, was answer enough, and Carisi laughed in earnest, taking Barba's hand in his across the table.

Because damn, if that wasn't the sweetest thing he'd ever heard, now he knew it to be true.


End file.
